Kong Blog

KONG Goes to the Hero Dog Awards

October 10, 2012

The Hero Dog Awards started off with a flurry of activity, everyone clamoring to catch a glimpse of Betty White or Joey Lawrence, but the show was continually stolen by the animals. The American Humane Association made it abundantly clear that the award show was “All about the animals,” and they did a great job of keeping the attention on our four-legged heroes.

As the official dog toy of Hero Dogs, KONG got the chance to walk the red carpet and talk to a few celebs who just love animals. We met up with Jewell, Michael Vartan, Megyn White, all huge animal lovers that just want to give back to the animals who have added so much to their lives. We talked with all of the dogs and their humans who were up for awards, and each one was humbled and excited by the chance to tell their stories. We had some information about each Hero Dog nominee, but were not fully prepared for the sheer weight of what these dogs have actually added to humans lives, for that, we had to see the actual show.

Hosted by the talented, funny, charismatic, etc. Kristen Chenoweth, the show got off to a great start. We learned about so many brave, talented, life-saving dogs and about all the positive impact they have had. We also got to hear from Betty White, as she was the recipient of a lifetime achievement award for all the work she has done with animals over the years, and you could truly see that she is fiercely dedicated to supporting animals of all shapes and sizes. Did you know that she has been working for animal rights since the 1960’s? Before anyone really had animal rights on their radars. She deflected as much attention off of herself as she could to get on with celebrating the animals, but she truly was deserving of an award.

Each dog had a video dedicated to the heroic act they performed, whether it be saving a hunter trapped in a snowstorm or a troop of armed forces members at war, these dogs made everyone proud. In the end though, there could only be one winner of the Hero Dog Awards(though every single person in attendance would argue that each animal was a huge hero) and that went to Gabe. Gabe served in Iraq, went on over 210 combat missions, had 26 finds of explosives and weapons, and probably saved hundreds of lives. Gabe now travels around educating children and adults alike, with his handler of course, on the benefits of staying in school.

We are so proud to be the official toy of the Hero Dog Awards, and we just want to make sure these brave animals get the respect and admiration they deserve.